Josh Giddey tried his best against sagging defense
Josh Giddey had a solid showing in the win versus the Mavericks, as the defense attempted to play off of him and let him shoot wide-open threes.
Giddey had 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, showing a more aggressive side of his game after the Mavericks decided to attach their centers, either Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively, to him with the hopes of clogging the paint.
As the defense continued to sag against him, Giddey shot seven threes, mostly wide-open ones, and made two of them. While he was a willing shooter, Giddey put the ball to the floor more in the games and he showcased his touch around the rim with floaters and layups.
The Aussie also tallied five assists and three rebounds in the game.
Giddey was more deliberate with his moves, especially when the Mavericks went into full sag mode on him in the second half. He attacked the rim well and showed the decisiveness he needs to remain in the playoff rotation come April.
However, how Giddey was guarded remains glaring. The offense looked stagnant on numerous stretches with him on the floor as the Mavericks decided to live with him taking warm-up shots.
As teams persist in willingly helping off Giddey, the Thunder guard should continue to show assertiveness and contribute in one way or another.